The SPIRE. Morristown United Methodist Church 50 South Park Place, Morristown, NJ Vol. 19, No. 2 February 2019.

Transcription

1 The SPIRE Morristown United Methodist Church 50 South Park Place, Morristown, NJ Vol. 19, No. 2 February 2019 Dear Friends, The CHO-sen Words Greetings! I am glad be back from my renewal time. I thank God for renewing and refreshing my mind, body and soul. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes. One of the books I read during my renewal leave was Hermann Hesse s Siddartha. It is a timeless book which portrays a man who, from his earliest youth, quests variously for enlightenment, full understanding and development of his self and the peace of a perfected being. Through his life journey, Siddartha comes to a full understanding about the oneness of all elements of the universe, the meaning of time, the nature of self, and the significance of human beings love attachments to others. I read this book for the first time when I was 15 years old. That was the time when I was doing a deep soul search about my mission on earth. This book played a key role, along with the Bible, in helping me to discern God s call for me to be in the ordained ministry. I read it again during my renewal time, and it touched me deeply once again with a profound sense of gratitude to God for the call to serve as a minister of the Gospel for all these years. So, during this February month, I am renewing my commitment to Christ and his on-going ministry on earth. I sense that God s call to us is to renew the body of Christ with hope, love, and joy. We can do this by renewing our faith in Jesus Christ. I am looking forward to journeying with you to be renewed and, in return, to renew God s church and the world which God dearly loves. See you in Church. Faithfully, Pastor Brandon 1

2 A New Sermon Series: Renew Renew means becoming new or making things new again. In this sermon series, we will examine areas of our life and faith where God s renewing power is needed. A NEW YOUTH CONFIRMATION CLASS WILL BEGIN IN FEBRUARY Once again, Pastor Brandon and Pastor Charles will co-lead this year s Youth Confirmation Class, and it will begin sometime in February. If you are interested in having your youth to go through this vital faith journey, please contact the church office, Pastor Brandon or Pastor Charles. Pastor Brandon will contact you after he returns to his office on February 1. February 3, 2019 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Holy Communion Renew Your Hope Psalm 39:7; Acts 23:6; 1 Peter 1:3 Pastor Brandon preaching February 10, 2019 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Renew Your Love Proverbs 10:12; Romans 5:8; Colossians 3:14 Pastor Brandon preaching February 17, 2019 Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Renew Your Joy Psalm 51:12; Nehemiah 8:10 Pastor Brandon preaching February 24, 2019 Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany Renew Your Mind Romans 12:1-2 Pastor Brandon preaching NEW CHURCH MEMBERSHIP CLASS Are you interested in joining our church family as new members? Do you want to know more about the United Methodist Church and our local congregation? If your answer is yes, we have a good new membership class for you to attend. Please contact the church office during this month, and Pastor Brandon will contact you in early February. A NEW WOMEN S BIBLE STUDY Leader: Ruth Powell This is a wonderful Bible class and mutual support group for women. Six or seven women have signed up and Ruth would love to have you join as well. Classes will begin this month. There is still time to join. If you are interested, please contact Ruth at r_kpowell@msn.com or

3 Nueva Esperanza Pastor Charles Perez Spoken Word on the Narratives of People s lives in the Community The minimum wage/has me in a rage/racism, Classism has me in a cage/15 an hour, when I m going to get paid/that is why I m homeless; on the floor; I have to lay/what do these politicians have to say/religious faith leaders; I need your advocacy; as you pray/this has been the longest night of any day/its cold out here; I m counting down till I see May/ People do something about poverty; so I don t fade away/into the margins; hearing people say/it s going to be okay/on the streets feeling like the ash on the ashtray/freezing out here like ice cubes; on an ice tray/i m hoping for justice; will I ever see that one day/praying for death so the pain can go away/where are you God; I m still waiting for that payday/i need help people; mayday/that day of death can be today/at least someone thought of me; and thank you for memorial day/this is what I call a blue Christmas/A 17 year old girl chopped in pieces/body burnt to the crisp; I pray for comfort from Jesus/A mother crying for her daughter from a cancerous diseases/ To heaven; Scotty beam us/we live in a world that is so dangerous/a mother who can t take it anymore; she killed herself that is very serious/i pray for that child for those moments in life when he gets delirious/the evil that happens in this world; makes me furious/the kidnapping of a child; what s wrong with this world and it finishes with a period/not a question and people are really dealing with this/a good friend arrested by ice they are so cold; a lack of pure innocence/my heart can t take it anymore God, cause I can feel it/but if it takes for me to suffer; then I ll deal with it/this government shut down over a wall is so ludicrous/ Lenten Sunday School Bible Study Plenty Good Room March 10th thru April 14th 8:30-9:30 AM - Wesley Room What says home to you? For me, it s having the people I care about around my table filled with good food. This is the atmosphere I hope to create during this year s Lenten Bible study using the book Plenty Good Room. Each week, one member will bring a favorite story and food item to share with the group as our starting point for the week s scripture and African American Spiritual. In the same way that Jesus has prepared a banquet table for us, let us do the same by experiencing each other s traditions this lent. To volunteer to share or for more information please contact Kristin Moran at Morankristin@gmail.com. The Harry Potter Small Group continues to meet the first and third Sundays of each month. We are using Kathleen Norris book Embracing A Life of Meaning to raise questions about life as well as comparing them to books 6 and 7 in the Harry Potter series. On Sunday, March 31st, we will have a Tea to celebrate the UK s Mothering Sunday. The location and time will be announced during Sunday worship. 3

4 BRANDON & JACK S In February, United Methodists throughout the world will come together to discern how our denomination will move forward concerning issues of human sexuality in the church. A Special Session of General Conference has been called to consider three plans that have been submitted. The Commission on the Way Forward submitted three proposed plans to the Council of Bishops. The One Church Plan that the Bishops supported and two others. How do we discern the will of God for us as we deal with this difficult subject? We recommend the following three guiding principles as our expression of faith and discipleship: 1. The Lord loves unity. Jesus prayed that they may be one as we are one (John 17:11). On the eve of his crucifixion, he was talking with God the Father about his disciples, and not only about them, but also for those who will believe in me through their message (John 17:20). That s us. Our unity was very important to Jesus, and it should be important to us. The call for oneness echoes through the New Testament, with Paul, Peter, and James adding their voices. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace, Paul wrote (Ephesians 4:3). We will have our differences and we see plenty of conflict in the pages of Scripture but the Lord's desire remains: that we might be one. 2. Discern what is essential, and not. In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity. This sentence, a favorite of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, has long been attributed to St. Augustine, but recent scholarship points to a German pastor, writing in That was the middle of the Thirty Years War, a colossal struggle between Lutherans, Calvinists, and Catholics that tore Europe apart. You can imagine why a local pastor would call for unity, liberty, and charity (which is an old-time word for love). And you can see why John Wesley would use this quote while facing opposition from the Anglican Church for reaching out to unchurched people, This quote doesn't solve our problems, but it clarifies our response to the issues. Not only are we figuring out what s right and wrong, but we also need to decide how essential our position is. Is there a core aspect of Christianity at stake here, or could we agree to disagree? Throughout history, churches and denominations have split over issues such as use of alcohol, policy on divorce, ordination of women, slavery, and justification by faith. Some of these seem essential, others not so much. Do we need to build a dividing wall here, on this issue, or not? 3. It s better to be loving than right. The New Testament refers frequently to the all-importance of love. What s the greatest commandment? Love God and others (Matthew 22:37-39). It s how we fulfill God's law Romans 13:10). It's greater than faith and hope (1 Corinthians 13:13). Even if you do amazing religious things, without love they're worthless (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Of course we shouldn't dilute God-given love into the stuff of pop songs and romantic comedies. Love doesn't mean avoiding all conflict or just doing whatever people want. But it is our ultimate calling to put others first, to live sacrificially in the way of Jesus. Lastly, let us pray for our General Conference delegates as they discern the way of the Lord together. 4

5 Trustees Report 2019 Many years ago, the Church was given eight cemetery plots at Restland Memorial in East Hanover. Please let us know if you are interested in purchasing any, at a discounted price. We are in the middle of the heating season, which has proven challenging for our heating system. We have had to replace a heat pump and several air vents throughout the building. With the frigid temperatures last week, we also had a pipe freeze and break in the attic. Steam from the break caused the fire alarm to go off. The Morristown Fire Department responded and helped clean up the water. There was some damage to the ceiling on the third floor, and water leaked down to the second and first floors, where water damaged stacks of paper in the work room. The water to the building had to be shut off for the plumber to make the repair. As we look toward warmer weather, we will need to replace the AC unit on the roof and an expansion tank in the basement. Estimates are currently being worked on. Dave White, our Property Manager, has been keeping busy with many other day to day repairs, including leaking faucets, changing lightbulbs, replacing ceiling tiles, and working with outside contractors. Please let any of us know if you have any questions. Thank you, Andrew Abendmusik Concert featuring City Winds Trio Crispian Fordham, flute Meredyth Coleman, oboe Yuki Higashi, bassoon February 16, 2019 at 7:30 p.m. Our Prayer Shawl Ministry is a huge success. We have provided countless prayer shawls to folks in need of their comfort for many different reasons. Our members have been very loyal in knitting and/or crocheting many shawls. However, we find ourselves in need of additional hands to keep the supply going. You don t have to be a member of our church and you don t have to attend meetings to participate in this rewarding ministry. If you have a few spare moments and would like to contribute, please contact Nancy Frantz at or Nancy Nutt at to offer your help. 5

6 Grab Your Sweetheart For A Meaningful Valentine s Date on February 9, 2019 Couples at all stages and ages are invited to participate in the Couples Connection program on Saturday Night February 9, 2019 at 5 p.m. The group will study The Art of Marriage: Getting to the Heart of God's Design. Participants will meet with other adults for discussions from 5-6:30 p.m. Afterwards, they are encouraged to hit Morristown to take advantage of the wonderful restaurant and entertainment options! Creative childcare will be provided from 4:45-8 p.m. The small-group Bible study will help participants blend their personalities and their life's circumstances to create a divinely-inspired work-of-art marriage. Every marriage is unique, expressed by the colorful personalities of each spouse and textured by the circumstances at play in their lives. Blending these to make marriage work is a divinely inspired art form challenging to master, but definitely worth the effort. Get ready to make a masterpiece of your marriage through this video-driven study! Attendance at every session is not required. Each event is self-contained and independently beneficial. The program promises to help couples: ---discover the primary purpose of marriage -- learn to walk by the power of the Holy Spirit in marriage -- learn to manage healthy conflict resolution -- understand the purpose of sex in marriage -- learn how they can leave a godly legacy -- understand their roles of husbands and wives in marriage Session dates after February are: March 2, April 6, May 4 and June 1. For more information or to sign-up for the first event, contact program facilitator Holly Dinneny at hdinneny@optonline.net or Mona s Musings Welcome back to our Pastor Brandon who has been on renewal leave for the month of January. We hope that your time away has been relaxing and rewarding. Our newest staff member needs absolutely no introductions. Our Property Manager, David Pierson White, literately grew up in this church. He was baptized here as an infant on October 25, He and his wife Nancy were married here on April 25, 1981, and their daughters Sarah and Caitlin participated in youth activities until they grew up and moved away Sarah to the Poconos and Caitlin to Myrtle Beach. Sarah has four children and Caitlin will make Dave a PopPop again in July. Since I ve been here forever, he and I can often be heard chatting about the good old days at MUMC. We recently celebrated the shared birthday of my two Nancys. Their birthday was January 18 th, but the official celebration was a bit delayed because Nancy and Rolf Frantz were off on their umpteenth cruise this one to South America around Cape Horn. This was a very special birthday for Nancy Nutt, who is lovingly referred to as Nanutt around here. She turned a beautiful 80 years old! (I got permission to tell you that, especially because I m right behind her. My big 80 is coming up next month.) She makes 80 look really good. Happy Birthday again, my dear friend and as always, thank you both for all you do to help me and for your friendship. I treasure it. See you next month!

7 I did it again! Again, thank you, John-Paul for noticing and letting me know. I really appreciate your keen eyes. I promise to be more diligent! My apologies to all of you January folks. JANUARY 3 Susan Dingsor 6 Brian Pfarrer 7 Jonathan Mitchell 10 Jim Ciprich 11 Heather Aston Phyllis Kovacs Gary Myers 14 Lisa Scharf 15 Marcia Futter 16 David White 18 Nancy Frantz Nancy Nutt Linda Wallace 19 Steve Radis 20 Genesis Gobin 21 Becky Earls 25 Marilyn Burk Ella Hauryluke 28 Ian Doig 29 Christina Ciprich 31 Kiana Davis FEBRUARY 1 Jan Leslie Elizabeth Rodgers Evelyn Smith 3 Glenn Coutts, Sr. Ron Yarger 5 Michael Rodgers 6 Joseph Rivera 6 Evan Stubaus 11 Mona Lindemann 13 Jieun Kim 24 Lee Wallace 25 Andrew T. Cattano Kristi Miller 26 Edgar Davis Church Leaders and Ministry Teams Our Sunday School and Youth Ministry Nueva Esperanza Worship and Minsitry Our Church Family and Friends Terri M., strength and healing Christine and Marcus, healing Kathryn Burdick, in Hospice care Gene Crance, continued recovery from stroke Lisa Y., strength and healing Brenda Diaz, healing from cancer Dorothy, diagnosed with ALS Nina, strength and ongoing healing Carol G., strength and healing Deb VanderSande, stage 3 cancer Carol, in Hospice Care Diane, undergoing chemotherapy Jeanne B., brain cancer Christina, tumor Jeff, cancer William E. Hettrick, prostate cancer Gary, loss of job John Hyland, continued strength and healing Joan, in hospice care Janice Harris, colon cancer Stephanie, leukemia Carolyn, successful cancer treatment Adam, successful treatment of colon cancer James, recovery Serving from stage Our Country 4 cancer Pfc. Abigail Crisp, NJ Army National Guard Jordan Dale, U.S. Marines Sgt. Randall Ferrara, NJ Army National Guard Rich Lamm, US Marine Corp LCDR Karen Kraft McAllister, Washington, DC On-going Prayer Sonya Burroughs Micah Shannon Bain Chris Nagy Rev. and Mrs. Man Kee Cho, Pastor Brandon s parents Beth & Bruce Courter Lea O Shea Erika Davis Rick Radis Jean Doig Ms. So Neil Eriksen Arden & Les Sutton Nancy Gardner Emma Wyman Jack & Johnna Ken Zippler Barbara MacHale 7

8 8

9 February 2019 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat. 1 10:00am Aphasia Support 2 2:00pm Chili preparation 5:30pm Soccer Ministry 3 9:00am Breakfast Club 9:00am Bible Study 10:15am Worship Service 11:30am Chili distribution 11:35am Asbury Choir 3:30 pm Nueva Esperanza 4 7:30pm--A.A :00pm Soccer Ministry NO Jubilation Ringers this 7 6:30pm Yarners 7:30pm Chancel Choir 8 5:30pm Soccer Ministry 9 5:00pm Couples Connection 10 9:00am Breakfast Club 9:00am Bible Study 10:15am Worship Service 11:35am Asbury Choir 12:00pm Staff Parish Relations 12:00pm ASP Training 3:30pm Nueva Esperanza 11 7:30pm--A.A. 12 6:15pm Trustees 13 4:00pm Soccer Ministry Jubilation Ringers 14 7:30pm Chancel Choir 15 10:00 Aphasia Support 5:30pm Soccer Ministry ASP Social 16 7:30pm Abendmusik City Winds Trio 17 9:00am Breakfast Club 9:00am Bible Study 10:15am Worship Service 11:35am Asbury Choir 2:00pm Emmaus 3:30 pm Nueva Esperanza 18 Office Closed 7:30pm--A.A. 19 Council on Ministries 20 Jubilation Ringers 21 6:30pm Yarners 7:30pm Chancel Choir 22 5:30pm Soccer Ministry 23 5:00pm Couples Connection 24 9:00am Breakfast Club 9:00am Bible Study 10:15am Worship Service 11:35am Asbury Choir 3:30 pm Nueva Esperanza 25 7:30pm--A.A :00pm Soccer Ministry Jubilation Ringers 28 7:30pm Chancel Choir 9

10 Rev. Dr. Brandon Cho, Senior Pastor Pastor Charles Perez, Associate Pastor Mike Laba, Financial Manager Jack Scharf, Administrative Director Sarah A Michal, Director of Music Ministries Jennifer Yang, Organist Maria & Vince Cattano, Youth Ministry Coordinators Mona Lindemann, Administrative Assistant/Spire Editor David White, Property Manager Kevin Vance, Webmaster Hayoung Kang, Pastoral Intern Morristown United Methodist Church on-the-green 50 S. Park Place Morristown, New Jersey Change Service Requested The Spire 10